If there was a moment in Saturday’s visit to Louisville that was disconcerting for the Kentucky Wildcats – aside from when the buzzer sounded and they were 80-77 losers to U of L – it came near the start of the game before the direction of the day became established.

The players on the Kentucky bench were on their feet applauding and cheering and trying to encourage the Wildcats to believe they could win. Rather, all of the UK bench players but one were on their feet. Alex Poythress, seated closest to the coaching staff, stayed in his chair.

Kentucky coaches have not been pleased with Alex Poythress' effort. (AP Photo)

He didn’t do a whole lot more for the Wildcats after entering the game.

Poythress played 15 minutes, and that number said more about how he performed than his 7 points and 5 rebounds. Not starting him for the first time as a collegian was about following through on the promise made to all UK recruits that everything would have to be earned. Not playing him fulltime minutes was coach John Calipari’s reaction to what he was seeing on the court.

“He just didn’t do anything,” Calipari said following the game. “The reason I took him out the last play – there was a rebound right there in front of the rim that was his ball, and he kind of went after it but he didn’t.

“Instead of grabbing it and tip-dunking it so we can get back in the game, he let the other guy grab it. ‘You’re out.’ ”

Calipari said Poythress told him he tried to get the rebound. Calipari’s response? “He’s trying harder than you, so you’ve got to sit.”

His minutes have declined each of the past three games, from 29 against Portland to 25 against Lipscomb to 21 against Marshall and then his short stint against the Cardinals.

The Kentucky coaches have been concerned about Poythress’ effort level since early in preseason practice. Any hope that he was just a middling practice player who turned it on when the lights came up has faded. And not only does he have an insufficient motor, he also does not seem to have an exceptional basketball IQ.

He failed to take advantage of a huge matchup differential against Notre Dame’s 6-5 Pat Connaughton even though Calipari encouraged him to set up on the low post. In the Louisville game, he made a nice move to launch a baseline drive but then didn’t read the defensive recovery of Cards center Gorgui Dieng. As Dieng rose to challenge the shot, Poythress needed either to attack the rim with a hard slam or dump the ball off to a teammate. Instead, he tried a layup that was easily blocked.

“We have got to get Alex playing better,” Calipari said. “He’s just not. He’s going to have to earn his minutes.”